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Colossus
The Price Of America's Empire
by Niall Ferguson


6.7

based on 13 reviews
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based on 4 votes
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In Colossus, Niall Ferguson brings his renowned historical and economic depth of field to bear on a bold and sweeping reckoning with America's imperial status and its consequences. He argues that in both military and economic terms America is nothing less than the most powerful empire the world has ever seen. [Penguin Press]

Penguin Press, 240 pages
04/22/2004
$25.95

ISBN: 1594200130

Nonfiction
Current Events & Politics

All reviews are classified as one of five grades: Outstanding (4 points), Favorable (3), Mixed (2), Unfavorable (1) and Terrible (0). To calculate the Metascore, we divide total points achieved by the total points possible (i.e., 4 x the number of reviews), with the resulting percentage (multiplied by 100) being the Metascore. Learn more...

Kirkus Reviews

Discomfiting, highly provocative reading, with ammunition for pro and con alike.

Library Journal Marcia L. Sprules

Though this book is well argued, its comparisons will make many readers uncomfortable. [15 Apr 2004, p.104]

New York Review Of Books Paul Kennedy

His book is often light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, studded with jokes (some of them very bad, as in his reflections on American obesity). But his overall message is serious, and more bitter than sweet.

Salon Ted Widmer

Ferguson recommits the essential blunder of the British Empire: He fails to consider whether the world's peoples want to join this new order, even if it is clear to him that they would benefit from it.

The Economist

Mr Ferguson's positive view of American motivations and character are not, therefore, likely to convince many sceptics. Such folk will be more pleased, though, by his pessimism about whether modern America has the will to make imperial interventions work.

The Globe And Mail [Toronto]

Ferguson, a leading and sometimes controversial young British historian, argues counter-intuitively that the United States is most certainly an empire, and ought to take its imperial duties more seriously.

The Nation Ronald Steel

He rightly observes that the American nation was no sooner founded than its leaders embarked on an energetic program of expansion.

Booklist Brendan Driscoll

This is a conservative argument, smacking gently of The Economist editorial page, but it is far from optimistic. [1 Mar 2004, p.1115]

Wall Street Journal Daniel W. Drezner

The trouble with this analysis is that nationalism is a much more powerful force now than it was during the heyday of the Victorian era -- even in areas with a brief history of statehood -- and subduing restive provinces would persistently drain America's resources and reputation.

The Guardian Ed Vulliamy

Yet there are serious attention deficits in Ferguson's book, which are to do with power and self-interest in this 'liberal empire'.

The Guardian Martin Jacques

If Ferguson loses his sense of reality in dreaming of empire, he recovers it towards the end of the book. There is a good and balanced discussion of the prospects for the European Union and an even better analysis of the economic problems that confront the US.

Publishers Weekly

The erudite and often statistical argument has occasional flashes of wit and may compel liberals to rethink their opposition to intervention.

The New York Times Book Review John Lewis Gaddis

There are, along with these contradictions, curious digressions -- box office receipts for movies about Vietnam, for example, or statistics on American obesity -- the relevance of which is unclear. And there are errors.

The average user rating for this book is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Rajiv K gave it a9:
Thoroughly enjoyed an engrossing account of American design of global power and control, the acknowledgement of which would hardly arrive from the White House.

Paris N gave it an8:
A cogent and powerful argument for American Global Imperium. His arguments, especially about African independance, ring a clarion call of truth given current events.

Danielle gave it a2:
This man really just likes the sound of his own opinion- and therefore continues on and on. Its as if he was reading it outloud and just wanted people to realize he's educated!

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Colossus The Price Of America's Empire by Niall Ferguson

Colossus
The Price Of America's Empire
by Niall Ferguson